Auckland

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Auckland, New Zealand's largest city, was our last port of call here before catching our flight to South America. It's known as the City of Sails and Vinny certainly had a bad case of envy when he saw some of the fabulous yachts moored in the marina. We didn't have much time here but having the car was a godsend and so we took the lazy option and drove around the city centre. The Auckland Skytower livens up an otherwise uninspiring night skyline, at 328m, it's New Zealand's tallest structure. We hopped on a ferry out to Rangitoto Island, 10kms out in the bay. This is Auckland's youngest and largest volcano, thought to have been formed around 600 years ago. On the island you're surrounded by black volcanic rock and unusual plant life. We walked up to the summit and around the 60m deep crater's edge for great views back across the bay to Auckland. We explored the Lava Caves and the Kidney Fern Grove, full of miniature ferns that unfurl after the rain. This city has a great vibe and we're both keen to return and explore more of the city sometime.

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